The University Grants Commission (UGC) is a statutory body established by the Indian Parliament under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. It functions under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India. The UGC was first set up on December 28, 1953, following the recommendation of the University Education Commission (1948–49), chaired by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. The Act was enacted to solve the problem of fragmented and uneven development in university education by ensuring the coordination, determination, and maintenance of standards across the country.
The core mechanism of the UGC is laid out in the UGC Act, 1956, which vests it with the power to regulate and fund higher education. Section 12 of the Act outlines its broad functions, which include allocating grants to eligible universities and colleges, advising the Central and State Governments on higher education, and framing regulations for minimum standards of teaching, examination, and research. Crucially, Section 22 grants only UGC-recognized universities the right to confer valid degrees, protecting students from unapproved institutions. The UGC also connects to other regulatory bodies like the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), which regulate technical and teacher education, respectively.
The UGC is currently undergoing a significant proposed change, as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends replacing it with a single, overarching regulator. The Union Cabinet has approved the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan (VBSA) Bill, formerly known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, which proposes to merge the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE. The key change in this proposed structure is the separation of regulatory functions from funding, with the new body focusing on academic standards while the financial matters are left to the administrative ministry. However, until the VBSA Bill is passed by Parliament and enacted, the UGC Act, 1956, remains the core law governing the UGC's powers.